Stabbing board for oil well drilling rigs



Nov. 30, 1954 J. H. RIVES 2,695,818

STABBING BOARD FOR OIL WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed Jan. 19, 1951 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 30, 1954 J. H. RIVES STABBING BOARD FOR OIL WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed Jan. 19, 1951 2 SheetsSheet 2 lib United States Patent STABBING BOARD FOR OIL WELL DRILLING RIGS Jacob Henry Rives, Abilene, Tex.

Application January 19, 1951, Serial No. 206,871

6 Claims. (Cl. 304-14) This invention relates generally to well rigging and more particularly to a traveling stabbing board such as may be advantageously employed in running casing or changing lengths of pipe in connection with oil well rigging such as a derrick or the like.

According to the general features of the present invention, a plurality of upright angle irons constituting rails and adapted to be firmly connected to the support members of an oil well derrick are arranged in spaced apart relationship to one another to slidably guide a box frame structure having rail guide means on either end thereof. The hoisting mechanism usually associated with an oil Well rigging such as a powered lift line is employed to vertically position the frame along the length of the rail elements. A deck member is slidably mounted on the frame and adjusting means are provided to relatively laterally position the deck member with respect to the frame structure. Locking means are also provided between the frame structure and the rail to retain the frame in adjusted vertical position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable stabbing board apparatus which is particularly compact and can be economically produced from standard metal forms which are readily available on the commercial market.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stabbing board apparatus which is easy to install, convenient in operation and completely effective for its intended purpose.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved locking assembly for a stabbing board apparatus operative between a traveling frame and rail element and operatively actuatable from any position along the length of the frame structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjusting mechanism whereby a deck member may be quickly and conveniently centered on a traveling stabbing board frame structure.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred embodiment of a traveling stabbing board structure incorporating the principles of the present invention is set forth.

On the drawings:

Figure l is an isometric view of a traveling stabbing board apparatus provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view with parts shown in elevation taken substantially on line II--II of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view with parts shown in elevation and with parts broken away for the sake of clarity, taken substantially on line III III of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

Although the principles of the present invention may find general application in other environments, a particularly useful application is found when employed in connection with an oil well drilling rig such as a derrick. In Figure 1 a portion of an oil well derrick is indicated by the girts constituting support members for a typical derrick structure.

The stabbing board apparatus is indicated generally by the reference numeral 11 and it may be noted that the entire apparatus is extremely portable and may be Patented Nov. 30, 1954 mounted to the derrick by locating the apparatus on the inside thereof in assembly with the girts 1t) and the other supporting members of the derrick.

A plurality of upright angle irons constituting rails are provided, there being a first pair of rails 12a and 12b and a second pair of rails 13a and 13b arranged in spaced apart relationship to one another on opposite sides of the derrick structure' The rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b may be firmly connected to the derrick structure in any convenient manner, for example by means of a cross tie assembly 14.

The stabbing board apparatus 11 further includes a main frame structure 16 which comprises a box frame made up entirely of standard metal forms, such as angle irons, suitably fastened together, for example, by means of welded joints or the like.

The frame structure 16 includes a pair of body members 17 and 18 which extend generally between the pairs of rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b and the box frame arrangement of the main frame structure 16 is completed by the provision of side members 19 and 20, respectively.

On each end of the main frame structure 16 is provided a rail guide means including a rail guide member 21 firmly connected to each of the body members 17 and 18 by means of suitable fasteners such as are indicated by the reference numeral 22 on Figure 2.

It will be noted that the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b are arranged with similar leg members extending outwardly. The rail guide members 21 may be advantageously constructed, therefore, by providing a metal structure including a plurality of U-shaped journalling portions each rotatably mounting a roller 23 journalled on a pin 24 extending through opposite legs of the U-shaped portions. In this manner, the rollers 23 engage opposite sides of the legs of the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b as well as the edge portion thereof to properly align the main frame structure 16 for vertical movement in the direction of the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 1312.

In order to lock the main frame structure 16 in various adjusted vertical positions, a latching mechanism is provided which includes mating latching means operable between the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b and the main frame structure 16. In this preferred embodiment, a control rod 26 extends substantially the entire length of the main frame structure 16 and is mounted for rotation in the end members 19 and 20. A crank 27 having a pair of spaced crank pins 27a and 27b is firmly connected to each end of the control rod 26. To each of the crank pins 27a and 27b is pivotally attached a connection rod 28, the opposite ends of the connection rods 28, 28 each being pivotally connected to a draw bolt 29a and 29b, respectively.

An apertured boss member 38a is mounted on the body member 17 and a similarly apertured boss member 30!) is mounted on the body member 18 to provide guiding supports for the draw bolts 2% and 2%, re spectively.

Each of the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b is provided with a plurality of vertically aligned apertures 31 which are adapted to receive the end of the draw bolts 29a and 29b. Thus, as the control rod 26 is rotated, the crank 27 will deliver a reciprocatory motion to each of the draw bolts 29a and 2% through the connection rods 28, 28 so that the draw bolts 29a and 2912 may be selectively positioned in retracted position or in engaging position with one of the apertures 31 in the rails 12a, 12b and 13a, 13b.

To operate the control rod 26, a control rod lever 32 is provided which is slidably keyed to the control rod 26 as at 33. Thus, the control rod lever 32 may be employed to selectively rotate the control rod 26 at any desired point along the length thereof.

The stabbing board apparatus 11 also includes a deck member indicated generally by the reference numeral 36 which comprises a sub-frame assembly made up of angle iron elements suitably welded or otherwise fastened together in a box frame arrangement.

In this preferred embodiment, the deck member 36 includes a pair of body members 37 and 38 and the box frame arrangement is completed by end members 39 and 40. The body members 37 and 38 are telescopically slidable on the body members 17 and 18 of the main frame structure 16.

To provide a supporting surface on the deck member 36, a floor member 41 preferably constituting an expanded metal sheet or some other form of sheet member having a corrugated surface is mounted across the body members 37 and 38. A seat 42 having a safety belt 43 may also be provided for the convenience of the operator of the stabbing board apparatus 11.

In order to effect lateral positioning of the deck member 36, a ratchet-winch structure is provided which includes a cable 43 having its respective ends connected to the end members 19 and of the main frame structure 16. A pair of apertured brackets 46 are aligned on the body members 37 and 38 of the deck member 36 and rotatably journal a reel rod 47 having a hand wheel 48 on the end thereof and a ratchet gear 49 positioned along the length thereof to engage a ratchet stop 50.

A medial pin 51 is provided to extend through the reel rod 47 and engages the cable 43 so that rotation of the hand wheel 48 will angularly displace the reel rod 47 to let out and take up equal amounts of slack from opposite ends of the cable 43. It will be understood, of course, that as such slack is taken up and let out the deck member 36 will be progressively positioned laterally relative to the main frame structure 16. It will be noted that the hand wheel 48 is so positioned as to be readily available to the operator so that the operator may at all times center the deck member selectively during operational procedures.

The stabbing board apparatus 11 may be elevated vertically by means of a lift line 52 firmly connected at opposite ends to the main frame structure 16. The lift line 52 may be actuated by any well-known means, for example, by a power drive means such as an electric, air or gasoline motor.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art to the structure herein described by way of illustrative example only, it should be clearly understood that I wish to embody within the scope of this patent all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A traveling stabbing board apparatus for an oil well rig comprising a plurality of upright angle irons constituting rails and adapted to be firmly connected to the support members of an oil well derrick or the like, there being at least two pair of rails arranged in spaced apart relationship to one another, a frame extending between said pairs of rails and having rail guide means slidably connected to said rails, said frame having a hoisting connection by means of which said frame may be moved vertically along the length of said rails, a deck member slidable on said frame, adjusting means to relatively laterally position said deck member with respect to said pairs of rails, and pin and recess locking means between said frame and said rails to retain said frame in adjusted vertical position on said rails including toggle operated pins extending transversely of opposite ends of said frame to selectively engage vertically spaced recesses in said rails and a rotatable longitudinally extending control rod extending between and operatively connected to said pins and having a control rod lever slidably keyed thereto for positioning in an accessible location adjacent said deck member.

2. A traveling stabbing board apparatus for an oil well rig comprising a plurality of upright angle irons constituting rails and adapted to be firmly connected to the support members of an oil well derrick or the like, there being at least two pair of rails arranged in spaced apart relationship to one another, a frame extending between said pairs of rails and having rail guide means slidably connected to said rails, said frame having a hoisting connection by means of which said frame may be moved vertically along the length of said rails, a deck member slidable on said frame, adjusting means to relatively laterally position said deck member with respect to said pairs of rails, and locking means at opposite ends of said frame between said frame and said rails to retain said frame in adjusted vertical position on said rails, said locking means including a rotatable control rod carried by said frame and operatively connected to said locking means, and a control rod handle slidably keyed to said control rod for manually actuating said locking means from said deck member to selectively lock said frame to said rails.

3. In a traveling stabbing board assembly for an oil well rig, spaced apart upright rail means having vertically aligned lock engaging means thereon and adapted to be connected to the support members of an oil well derrick, a frame extending between said means and having rail guide means to slidably engage said rail means, a movable deck on said frame, means to adjustably move said deck on said frame, and a locking mechanism to lock said frame in adjusted vertical positions on said rail means, said lock mechanism comprising a control bar extending the length of said frame and rotatably supported thereby, a crank at each end of said bar, a pair of connecting rods pivotally mounted on each end of said crank and a bolt pivotally carried by each connecting rod and adapted to mate with said lock engaging means, and a lock control lever extending through said movable deck and slidably keyed to said control bar to rotate same, said lock control lever being slidably positionable along the length of said control bar in unison with said movable deck.

4. In a traveling stabbing board assembly for an oil well rig, spaced apart upright rail means adapted to be connected to the support members of an oil well derrick, a frame extending between said means and having rail guide members to slidably engage said rail means, mating latching means between each end of said frame of said rail means, a control bar extending the length of said frame and rotatably supported thereby to selectively actuate said mating latching means upon rotation thereof and lock control lever slidably keyed to said control bar, said lever being slidably positionable along the length of said 5. The device as defined in claim 4, including a deck member laterally slidable on said frame, and adjusting means to laterally position said deck member including a cable of greater length than said frame and having its opposite ends connected to opposite ends of said frame, a reel rod rotatably mounted in said deck member transversely of said frame and having a hand wheel at one end thereof to rotate said reel rod, a pin extending through a medial portion of said reel rod to engage said cable in reeled around position on said rod and ratchet means to yieldably retain said reel rod against rotation, whereby said deck member may be centered by adjusting the slack in said cable on opposite sides of said pin.

6. A portable stabbing board assembly for an oil well rig comprising two pairs of spaced apart angle irons comprising upright rail means and adapted to be connected to the support members of an oil well derrick, one leg of each of said angle irons having a plurality of vertically aligned apertures, said one leg of each pair of angle irons being arranged to face outwardly, a frame structure extending between said pairs of angle irons, said frame structure comprising a rectangular box-frame made up of angle iron elements, rail guide means on each end of said frame structure to slidably receive the other leg of said angle irons, latching means on each end of said frame arranged to matingly engage said apertures in said one leg to each of said apertures, a deck member comprising a sub-frame made up of angle iron elements and being telescopically slidable on said main frame structure, means to adjustably position said deck member on said frame structure and actuating means operable from said deck member to actuate said latching means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 779,362 Hehr Jan. 3, 1905 809,575 Mors Ian. 9, 1906 1,715,200 Lambert May 28, 1929 1,740,117 Pinckney Dec. 17, 1929 2,211,561 Flannelly Aug. 13, 1940 2,309,210 Phillips I an. 26, 1943 2,311,932 Deckard Feb. 23, 1943 2,331,558 McEwen et a1 Oct. 12, 1943 2,420,903 Noble May 20, 1947 2,443,349 Foster June 15, 1948 2,570,076 Sims Oct. 2, 1951 

